Spitfire Mk1 and 1a differences??

Hello I am very interested in all the above on differences between the Spitfire Mk. 1 and 1a, but can anyone put any dates against the changes? For example does anyone know when the armour glass was phased in?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

Mirrors were sometimes left up to the pilots discretion.Some took them off,some added extra ones.

…or even an exposed top fuel tank, before they fitted the semi-armoured cover – (10swg?).

Mark

And the fixed gun sight, also shown in your photo.

Nearly nine years for this post to be edited, now that’s what I called efficiency………..

…or even an exposed top fuel tank, before they fitted the semi-armoured cover – (10swg?).

Mark

Any Help?

Brian

Excellent, many thanks. I think Phil is going to have a good look around this aircraft at the Cosford LMA model show next month.

Steve

When was the first constant speed prop fitted? didn’t that require a change from Merlin II to Merlim III?

Any Help?

Brian

Thanks for all the replies so far. Keep them coming if you know more.

Steve

I wonder if Steve was referring to the differences between the early MKIs and later aircraft seeing as K9942 has reverted to her original look.

If so then the changes as time went on consisted of:

Completely flat hood changed for type with bulge in upper area whilst retaining the flat sides and a ‘knock-out’ panel on the port side.

Originally straight aerial mast changed to an angled streamline section on later aircraft.

Additional armour-glass mounted into the originally curved screen.

Gun muzzles on each three (?) outboard guns were moved further back into the wing on later MKIAs so that it was easier to apply fabric patches over the gun ports, there is a good line-up shot of early Spits taken at Duxford which shows this off to good effect.

2-blade wooden Watts Propeller was changed to a 3-bladed DeHavilland Metal prop, occasionally seen fitted with a Rotol prop and its associated blunt spinner.

Can’t remember completely if the early MKIs had rear-view mirrors, don’t think so but my memory is not great!

The paint schemes also varied quite a bit from the first production aircraft to the later Battle of Britain aircraft so that’s something to bear in mind if you haven’t already found it out yourself 😉

Tom

Mk.IA designation applied retrospectively to all Mk.I Spitfires fitted with 8 x .303 armament.

Mk.IB designation applied to 30 Spitfires specially modified to 2 x 20mm cannon in June-August 1940.

Mark

The fitting of a constant speed propellor (three-bladed) also had something to do with the change in designation. There were also a number of changes to the canopy and the use of armour plating.

Is Wiki correct?

“19 Squadron received several Spitfires armed with two Hispano 20 mm cannon during the Battle [of Britain]. These were known as the Mk IB, the eight machine gun Mk Is were retrospectively called the Mk Ia”

Not ABSOLUTELY sure, but i would think the ‘a’ was a retrospective designation applied when they changed the armament-the letter after the mark number denoting the different wings which were fitted with different gun options